Bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames



June 28, 1949. E. J. ABBOTT BOBBIN HOLDER FOR SPINNING AND TWISTING FRAMES Filed Dec. 10, 1947 Patented June 28, 1949 BOBBIN HOLDER FOR SPINNING AND TWISTING FRAMES Edward James Abbott, Wilton, N. H., asslgnor to Abbott Machine Company, Wilton, N. 11., a corporation of New Hampshire Application December 10, 1947, Serial No. 790,868

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to rotatable bobbin hold ers for spinning and twisting frames and has for one of its objects to provide an improved combination of structure for eii'ectively rotating the bobbin at high speeds by use of an individual electric motor. More specifically the invention aims to utilize as a bobbin-holding element a sleeve rotatably mounted on an interior stationary or nonrotating spindle, and to rotate such sleeve by means of an individual electric motor, providing the advantages of individual electric drive such for instance as avoidance of side pull and unevenness of drive produced by driving means such as tapes, and to accomplish this without complicated construction and within a small space such as the small space usually allotted to each bobbin holder in a spinning or twisting frame.

The invention in its preferred forms employs such stationary or non-rotating spindle, adapted for attachment to the spindle rail of the machine, the rotatable bobbin-holding sleeve being mounted in longitudinally spaced hearings on the spindle so as to avoid any long overhang of the rotatable sleeve beyond its bearings, and with cooperating electric motor elements on the spindle and on the sleeve directly applying torque to the sleeve without pulling sidewise thereagainst. As will be apparent from this specification and its drawings, the invention provides an especially compact and simple construction, adapted for application to spinning and twisting frames of otherwise conventional construction.

The general plan of driving individual bobbins by individual electric motors has numerous advantages, among which are avoidance of side pull of driving tapes, mentioned above, and the advantage of controlling the drive of individual units by simple individual switches, and it is a. further object of the invention to develop and utilize the advantages of individual electric motor drive and to avoidlimitations that have previously retarded its use in spinning and twisting frames.

Other advantages and gbjects of the invention will be apparent from thisspecification and its drawings wherein the inventioh isgexplained by. the description of two embodiments thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a rotatable bobbin holder and its electric motor elements according to the present invention;

ary or non-rotatable spindle 2i adapted to be supported in an upright position by being secured at its bottom to a suitable base such as a spindle rail 22, for instance by extending through a hole of proper diameter in the spindle rail. Adjacent to its top the spindle is shouldered at 24, and a short distance above the spindle rail is again shouldered at 25. Bearings and 21 which are preferably anti-friction bearings, carried by the shoulders 24-45, rotatably position a tubular,

- preferably slightly tapered, bobbin-holding sleeve of one unif 28 with reference to the spindle.

The upper portion of the bobbin-holding sleeve 28 extends into and practically through the entire length of the interior of a spinning bobbin B, adapted to be slipped onto and 011 from the sleeve over the end of the sleeve, the outline of the wound thread which is spun onto the bobbin being indicated at T. As will be seen in Fig. 1 the upper bearing 26 is located within the upper end portion of sleeve 28 inside the bobbin so that the upper end of sleeve 28 overhangs this hearing only slightly. The top of the bobbin B may if desired extend somewhat beyond its supporting sleeve 28, particularly when the winding is such that the topof the bobbin receives only a reduced-diameter portion of the wound body of thread T.

The lower bearing 21, as shown, is a considerably larger bearing than the upper bearing 26, but is also located within the sleeve 28, preferably within a slightly enlarged portion thereof, below but near the level of the base of the bobbin B.

The lower portion of the non-rotatable spindle 2|, below the lower bearings 21 and above the spindle rail 22, extends through and holds a. motor stator. The rotatable sleeve 28 of Fig. 1 includes an enlarged portion 28' which extends below the lower bearings 21 and carries a motor rotor sur- The stator preferably includes a stack of electrical laminations 30 which are fitted onto the spindle 2| and which are provided with slots I to I2 (Fig. 2) for the reception of a stator winding diagrammatically indicated at 32, Fig. 1. The stator winding is preferably a multi-phase winding, for instance a three-phase, two pole, star connected winding in which the three phases are wound into the slots I to I2 according to the following:

First phase, slots i2 and I, slots I and 8, Second phase, slots 2 and 9, slots 3 and 8, Third phase, slots 4 and II, slots 5 and I8.

Obviously many other different patterns of stator winding may be employed, the above being given for purposes of illustration only.

The winding of the stator is easily accomplished by assembling the stator laminations 38 on the spindle 2| and then winding the stator wires into the slots in the laminations 38. No special precaution need be taken to prevent the stator windings from coming out of the slots because these windings are not subject to any centrifugal force. Each slot may be lined with a strip of insulating material 35, Fig. 1 omitting the windings which overlie one such strip in its slot. The three-phase connections from the stator windings may be led out through a cup 38 and through the spindle rail 22 and from thence to a suitable current supply, not shown, preferably through an individual switch.

The motor rotor, carried by enlarged portion 28 of the sleeve 28 and surrounding the stack of stator laminations 80, preferably includes a shortcircuited winding, which may most conveniently beof the squirrel cage type. Thus in Fig. 1 the exterior rotor includes a stack of annular laminations 40 which are slotted to receive longitudinal copper conductor bars 4| secured at their ends to upper and lower annular copper end rings 42 and 43. Preferably, as shown, bars 4| are riveted over at the ends, against the end rings.

The motor above described operates as a selfstarting induction motor.

It will be observed that provision of the interior element of the motor as the stator and the exterior element of the motor as the rotor both facilitates and is facilitated by the use of a stationary spindle and its associated rotatable bobbin-holding sleeve. No bearings are required for the interior element of the motor and no gap need be left between this interior element and the spindle, since both the interior element and the spindle are stationary. The exterior motor element requires no support other than suitable attachment to the rotatable bobbin-holding sleeve and employment of the spaced bearings which position such sleeve with reference to the spindle. The whole construction is compact and electrically well shielded, and suitable for inclusion in a small space as commercially necessary in accordance with conventional requirements for the bobbin-supporting and rotating elements in spinning and twisting frames.

The relatively widely separated bearings 28 and 21 not only accurately position the rotatable sleeve 28 with reference to the spindle, but also accurately position the exterior rotor with reference to the interior stator, so that only a small air gap need be provided between the stator and the rotor. Electrical efliciency of the motor is increased by use of such small air gap, and the increased electrical efllciency permits use of a 4 smaller motor than would otherwise be practicable.

Location of both the bearings 28 and 21 above the stator and rotor avoids any complications in assembling and disassembling the device. The path of the supply wires leading from the wound interior stator is not complicated by bearings of the exterior rotor, and as shown, these supply wires can pass from the wound stator directly through the cup 38. The outer rotating sleeve and the motor rotor carried thereby, as well as the two bearings 28 and 21 on which the sleeve rotates, can readily be removed for cleaning of the device, and the wiring of the wound stator is then also readily accessible.

In Fig. 1 the enlarged portion 28" of the sleeve 28 is shown as extending down throughout the entire height of the exterior rotor and slightly below its bottom, and also below the upper edge of cup 39. The upper end of sleeve 28 above bearing 28 is closed by a plug 48, and the gap between the lower portion 28 of sleeve 28 and cup 38 is small. Thus there is but slight opportunity for any dust to enter the motor.

A further advantage of the invention is that the lower portion of the rotating structure can readily carry, or itself constitute, a braking surface to receive manually or mechanically ap ied friction to stop rotation of the bobbin holder. Thus after shutting oil! the current from an individual motor, its bobbin holder can be quickly stopped by applying braking friction to the enlarged rotor-carrying portion 28 of the sleeve.

The device of Figs. 3 and 4 operates in a manner similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2 but is somewhat simplified and even more compact. In Fig. 3 the sleeve 28 is provided with an intgeral flange 28 which overlies the upper copper end ring 42 and terminates at the periphery thereof. The longitudinal conductor bars 4| then are extended upwardly not only through the end ring 42 but also through the portion 28 and riveted over against flange 28' to secure the motor rotor to sleeve 28.

At the bottom of the rotor an annular flanged member 44 may extend down below the top of ring 89 and be secured to the rotor by the longitudinal conductor bars 4|, which extend through member 44 and are riveted thereto.

This construction of Figs. 3 and 4 provides the advantages of the device of Figs. 1 and 2 and in addition is more compact, the bottom portion of the device having a smaller diameter, and also substantially completely exposes the laminations of the outside rotor for air cooling.

In many types of modern spindles, because of vibration problems, provision is made for allowing the axis of rotation of a rotating spindle and its bobbin to accommodate itself more or less to the vertical axis of inertia of the rotating parts, for the purpose, among others, of diminishing translation of vibration, noise and stress to the spindle rail and frame of the machine, and complicated constructions have been proposed and used for this purpose. The bobbin holder of the present invention renders it possible to secure effective damping and absorption of vibration by very simple and inexpensive means of small size and ease of application.

It will be observed that the bearings 28 and 21 are relied upon to position the rotor against radial play with relation to the stator, and it follows that there is then no substantial radial play of the sleeve 28 with relation to the spindle 2|.- Any radial vibration of this whole device during rotating may be absorbed and prevented from being transmitted to the spindle rail by including a laterally yieldable material between the spindle 2i and the spindle rail. Referring to Fig; 3, in which such provision is shown, the base portion oi the spindle 2 Us surrounded by a vibration absorbing unit comprised of a stationary inner steel sleeve 2|, an outer steel sleeve 2i" and an intermediate annular body of rubber 2i which is vulcanized to both the inner sleeve ii and the outer sleeve 2 l The spindle II is bolted to inner sleeve 2 I. Outer sleeve 2 I extends through the spindle rail 22 and is secured thereto by a nut 2i on a threaded lower portion of this outer sleeve. The vibration absorbing assemblage thus described is simple and inexpensive, and readily renewable without interference with the bearings on which the rotating elements of the device rotate and are supported. The same simple vibration absorbing unit may, of course, be applied to the construction shown in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a spindle adapted to be secured at its bottom to a base, a sleeve rotatable around the upper portion of the spindle, said sleeve being adapted for reception of a bobbin placed thereon over the end of the sleeve, spaced hearings on the spindle acting to position the sleeve with relation to the spindle, and a motor for rotating said sleeve around said spindle comprising a stationary electric winding disposed around the lower portion of the spindle, below the lower one of said bearings, said spindle extending through the interior of said winding, and an annular rotor connected to the lower portion of said sleeve and surrounding said stationary winding.

2. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a spindle, a sleeve having a portion adapted to extend into the bobbin, vertically spaced bearings between the spindle and sleeve whereby the sleeve is mounted Y for rotation around the spindle and is positioned with reference to the spindle, an enlarged portion of the sleeve below the lower of said bearings, and an electric motor for rotating said sleeve around said spindle comprising a stator associated with said spindle and an annular rotor connected to said enlarged portion of the sleeve and surrounding said stator below the lower of said bearings, said bearings also acting to position said rotor with relation to said stator.

3. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a spindle, a sleeve having a portion adapted to extend into a bobbin placed thereon-over the end of the sleeve, vertically spaced bearings between the spindle and sleeve, one of said bearings being located -within said portion of the sleeve extending into the bobbin, and an electric motor for rotating said sleeve around said spindle including a stator associated with said spindle and an annular rotor connected to said sleeve and surrounding said st ator below the lower of said bearings, said bearins--positioning said rotor with relation to said stator.

4. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a spindle, a sleeve having a portion adaptedto e xtend into a bobbin placed thereon over the erid of the sleeve, vertically spaced bearings between the spindle and sleeve, one of said bearings being located within said portion 01' the sleeve extending into the bobbin, and an electric motor for rotating said sleeve around said spindle including a stator associated with said spindle below the,

lower of said bearings, an enlarged portion of said sleeve, and an annular rotor connected to said enlarged portion or the sleeve and surrounding said stator, said bearings positioning said rotor with relation to said stator.

5. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a spindle, a sleeve, vertically spaced bearings between the spindle and sleeve whereby the sleeve is mounted for rotation around the spindle, the sleeve having a portion adapted .to extend into the bobbin and having an enlarged portion extending below the lower of said bearings, a motor stator associated with said spindle and including a stationary electrical winding adapted to receive current from a supply, and a motor rotor associated with said enlarged portion of the sleeve and including a short-circuited electrical winding.

6. A rotatable bobbin'holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a spindle, a sleeve, vertically spaced bearings between the spindle and sleeve whereby the sleeve is mounted for rotation around the spindle, the sleeve having a portion adapted to extend into the bobbin and having an enlarged portion extending below the lower of said bearings, and a motor for rotating the sleeve, said motor including a wound stator on said spindle and a squirrel cage rotor carried by said enlarged portion of the sleeve and surrounding said stator below. the lower of said bearings.

'7. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and A twisting frames comprising a spindle, a sleeve having a portion adapted to extend into the bobbin, vertically spaced bearings between the spindle and sleeve whereby the sleeve is mounted for rotation around the spindle, and a motor for rotating thesleeve, said motor including a rotor carried by the sleeve below the lower of said bearings and comprising annular laminations and end rings and longitudinal conductor bars connecting said end rings, said longitudinal conductor bars securing said rotor to'said sleeve, 8. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a non-rotating spindle, a bobbin support rotatable around the spindle, said bobbin support being adapted for reception of a bobbin placed thereon over the upper end thereof, spaced bearings on the spindle disposed to position the bobbin support with relation to the spindle, and a motor for rotating 7 said bobbin support around said spindle comprising a stator primary electric winding disposed below the lower one of said bearings, and an annular motor rotor element connected to said bobbin support and surrounding said stator winding.

9. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting frames comprising a non-rotating spindle, a bobbin support rotatable around the spindle, said bobbin support being adapted for reception of a bobbin placed thereon over the upper end thereof, spaced bearings on the spindle disposed to position the bobbin support with relation to the spindle, one of said bearings being located within and near the top of the bobbin and the other said bearing being located near the I bottom of the bobbin, and a motor for rotating said bobbin support around said spindle comprising a stator primary electric winding disposed below the lower one of said bearings, and \an annular motor rotor element connected to iickbgbbin support and surrounding said stator winding.

primary electric winding disposed below the lower one of said bearings, and an annular motor rotor element carried by said enlarged portion below the lower one of said bearings and surrounding said stator winding.

11. A rotatable bobbin holder for spinning and twisting i'rames comprising a non-rotating spindle. a bobbin support rotatable around the spindle, said bobbin support being adapted for reception 01 a bobbin placed thereon over the upper end thereof, spaced bearings on the spindle disposed to position the bobbin support with rela- 8 tion to the spindle, and a motor for rotatins said bobbin support around said spindle comprising a stator primary electric winding disposed below the lower one 0! said bearings, and an annular 'motor rotor element connected to said bobbin support and surrounding said stator winding, said annular rotor element including a stack of laminations exposed to the air at their outer peripheries.

EDWARD JAMES ABBOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following rei'erenlces are of record in the tile 0! this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 1,425,363 Bradley Aug. 8, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 215,382 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1941 532,819 Germany Aug. 31, 1931 

